A Time to Love is the twenty-third studio album by Stevie Wonder, his first since Conversation Peace in 1995. Originally to have been completed in 2004, it was finally released to stores on October 18, 2005, following an exclusive digital release on Apple's iTunes Music Store on September 27.
The first single, issued in April 2005, was "So What the Fuss", which featured Prince on guitar and En Vogue on backing vocals. Follow-up singles included "Positivity" with his daughter Aisha Morris, "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Shelter in the Rain".
The song "Shelter in the Rain" was in tribute to his first wife, the singer Syreeta Wright, who died of cancer the year before this album was released. Wonder was quoted as saying he would have had Wright singing lead on it had she lived.
Reception
The album was received with generally positive reviews, despite its having been delayed several times during the year of its release. In 2005, Wonder won the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards for "From the Bottom of My Heart", his fourth win in this category.
Track listing
Personnel
Music
Thomassina Atkins – choir/chorus
Francis Awe – talking drum
Kimberly Brewer – background vocals
Shirley Brewer – background vocals
Kim Burrell – primary vocals
Teddy Campbell – drums
Mabvuto Carpenter – background vocals
Jherimi Leigh Carter – choir/chorus
Wendell Kelly – trombone
Oscar Castro-Neves – guitar
Ayrianna Cerant – choir/chorus
Swapan Chaudhuri – tabla
Gregory Curtis – background vocals
Monique DeBarge – background vocals
DeVere Duckett – background vocals
Nathan East – bass guitar
Kevon Edmonds – background vocals
Lynne Fiddmont – background vocals
Brianna Ford – choir/chorus
Doug E. Fresh – beat box
Patrick Gandy – conductor, orchestration
Richie Gajate Garcia – congas/hand percussion
Tony Gates – choir/chorus
Daronn Gooden – choir/chorus
Timothy Hall – choir/chorus
Kenya Hathaway – background vocals
India.Arie – composer, primary artist
Herman Jackson – bells, keyboard
Phillip "Taj" Jackson – background vocals
Keith John – background vocals
Accalra Johnson – choir/chorus
Desarae Johnson – choir/chorus
Timothy Jon Johnson – background vocals
Unique Johnson – choir/chorus
Chatoya Jones – choir/chorus
Erica L. King – choir/chorus
Abbos Kosimov – doira
Debra Laws – background vocals
Hubert Laws – flute
Ricky Lawson – drums
Paul McCartney – acoustic/electric guitar
Melody McCully – background vocals
Brijee McDowell – choir/chorus
Sebastian Mego – choir/chorus, background vocals
Kristie Mingo – background vocals
Aisha Morris – primary artist
Woody Murray – vibraphone
Traci Nelson – background vocals
Morris O'Connor – guitar
Conesha Owens – background vocals
Greg Phillinganes – electric piano
Mike Phillips – saxophone
Doc Powell – guitar
Prince – guitar
Bryan Sledge – choir/chorus
Amir Sofi – darbouka
Lamont Van Hook – background vocals
Nathan Watts – bass
Andy Weiner – conductor, orchestration, string arrangements
Willie Wheaton, Jr. – background vocals
Fred White – background vocals
Johneisha White – choir/chorus
Tamiko Whitsett – background vocals
Barbara Wilson – background vocals
Sherman B. Wilson – choir/chorus
LaLynda Winfield – choir/chorus
LaShanea Winfield – choir/chorus
LaShanique Winfield – choir/chorus
Stevie Wonder – arranger, art conception, audio production, bass, bells, bongos, chimes, clapping, clavinet, composer, drawing, drum loop, drums, editing, Fender Rhodes, finger cymbals, flexatones, flute arrangement, guitar loops, hand percussion, harmonica, keyboard guitar, keyboards, marimba, Moog bass, organ, percussion, piano, piano (electric), primary artist, producer, programming, rhythm section, sequencing arranger, string arrangements, synthesizer bass, tambourine, vocal arrangement, vocals (background), voice box